The Rough Guide to World Music : Volume 1 (Rough Guide Reference)
by Rough Guides
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Book Summary Information
Author: Rough GuidesEditor: Simon Broughton
Editor: Mark Ellingham
Editor: Jon Lusk
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-10-30
ISBN: 1843535513
Number of pages: 672
Publisher: Rough Guides
Book Reviews of The Rough Guide to World Music : Volume 1 (Rough Guide Reference)
Book Review: Work of Lunatic Scholarship Indeed
Summary: 5 Stars
The first two editions of the Rough Guide to World Music have long been essential reference books for music lovers, and it still holds true with the third edition. Expanded and revised, this is the first volume in a three-volume set, this time around focusing on the music of Africa and the Middle East. Drawing upon a whole host of authors, this work broadens the horizons by looking at every major style of musc in the region, from classical and tribal music, to modern Afro-pop, al-Jeel and Rai sensations. New and popular generes, such as African rap, Arabesque and Toureg music, are also examined in depth, making this volume much more thorough than it's predecessors. The book makes a monumental effort to catalouge the best of newer CD releases, including mention of prominent CD labels, as well as classic hits. Also, in addition to the standard articles, interviews and CD recommendations, most chapters also include a suggested playlist of iPods or MP3 players, giving an overview of the country's musical styles.
The first section focuses on the vast and culturally diverse continent of Africa, and takes up roughly 3/4s of the book. Almost every major country and style is covered - Congolese soukous, Algerian rai, Ethio-jazz, Nigerian Afro-beat, high life from Ghana, East African taraab, chimurenga and mbira from Zimbabwe, and many more. Indeed, South Africa has three seperate articles focusing on pop, jazz and gospel, respectively. Other articles focus on specific cultures, such as the Kabylie Berbers of Central African Pygmies. New and expanded material includes a look at Toureg music, Libyan music, the San and !Kung bushmen of Namibia, Botswana and post-war Liberia. This makes it an essential buy for those interested in these little known countries. In addition, there are countless profiles, biographies and even interviews with many prominent musicians such as Rachid Taha, Angelique Kidjo, Malouma mint Meidah, Cesaria Evora, Yossou N'Dour, Oliver Mtukudzi and the Drummers of Burundi. Other short side bars and notes highlight topics as diverse as Malagasy reburial rites, Nigerian pop stars abroad, the tribal musics of Kenya, the Chaoui Berbers of the Aures Mountains, and Moroccan music festivals. Theres even an article on pioneering ethno-musicologist Hugh Tracey, who's recordings highlight now lost musical traditions from across sub-Saharan Africa. All in all, a great and wonderfully enlightening look at African music.
Although smaller than the section on Africa, the Middle Eastern section of the book is just as interesting and informative, even if the region is covers is somewhat smaller. The greats of Arabic classical music, such as Abdel Halim Hafez, Farid al-Atrache, Fairouz and, of course, Oum Kalthoum, are all covered. There is also a quite up-to-date (for the moment anyway) chapter covering Egyptian pop music, and seperate chapters for the regional musics of other Arab countries. Whereas they were lumped together in the previous edition, articles on Lebanon, Syria and Iraq have been updated and expanded enough to merit their own chapters, each showing their countries unique styles of music. The many, diverse traditions of Iran, Turkey and Israel are each covered, ranging from the whirling dervishes to bellydance to Persian classical music. There are also seperate articles covering ethnic groups such as the Kurds, Sephardic Jews and the Bedouin. The Caucasian republics - Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan - get pushed into this book too, due to shared cultural heritage with the Middle East. And, to top it off, theres a great new chapter about the rise of Arabesque, eletronic music that draws on Arab and Turkish influences (think Natacha Atlas, or Rachid Taha's remix of "Ya Rayah"). Very cool...
So, is it worth the buy? I'd certainly say so. If your a world music fan, especially one interested in African or Middle Eastern music, this book will become an essential reference for you. Especially if you want to learn more but have no idea where to begin. Even if you consider yourself pretty familiar with the musical styles here, you'll still find plenty of gems you may have missed out on, or never heard of before. Trust me on this one. It's already expanded my CD collection, and I've only had the new edition for a couple of days. The focus has greatly expanded from the previous editions too, which were a little heavily focused on pop music. This edition is more broad, showing a vast array of regional and cultural styles from across Africa and the Near East. It's a must buy, and I strongly recommend it.
Summary of The Rough Guide to World Music : Volume 1 (Rough Guide Reference)
The Rough Guide to World Music is the unchallenged reference work on sounds from around the globe. This third edition is more comprehensive than ever - updated and expanded throughout and with a number of new countries added. Volume 1: Africa & Middle East has full coverage of genres from Afrobeat to Arabesque, and artists from Amadou & Mariam to Umm Kulthum. The book includes articles on more than 60 countries written by expert contributors, discographies for each article with biographical notes on thousands of musicians and reviews of their best CDs.Reference Books
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